The Missing Ayatollah
The Diplomat / Meir Javedanfar
27-Nov-2010 (9 comments)

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is known for being a proud man. But although he’d be loath to admit publicly that his pride has been hurt, numerous recent reports in Iran’s conservative media suggest that it has been.

The focus of his frustration seems to be Ayatollah Hossein Vahid Khorasani. During both his recent trips to the holy city of Qom, Khorasani, a senior grand ayatollah there, refused to meet with Khamenei. Indeed, according to accounts from supporters of the democratic Green Movement, Khorasani didn’t even want to be in the same city as Khamenei and apparently tried to leave (although in the end he seems to have been warned off doing so by Iran's intelligence agency).

Since the snubs, the media has been feverishly working at coming up with articles that emphasize the supposedly high esteem in which Khorasani holds Khamenei. Some, for example, have emphasized Khorasani's fidelity to Khamenei’s leadership and how he has always had strong relations with the Supreme Leader, while others have tried to pin the blame for the incidents on Khorasani's anti-Sunni views. In an article published in the Tehran-based Parsine, for example, it has been sugegsted that Khorasani is arguing against the excessive rights being given to Sunnis in Iran. This contrasts with Khamenei’s views, and the media has been keen to suggest that the real reason for the snub was simply that Khorasani didn’t want to discuss this issue with Khamenei.

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mahmoudg

Desparate times calls for desparate measures

by mahmoudg on Sun Nov 28, 2010 09:12 AM PST

Who the heck was Mohamad, the worthless Arab cultist fighter, for us to want to mention him in historical terms??.  Ghadir Khom, is yet another Arab ceremony that must have stayed behind in the Arabian pennisula.  This Arab thief now ruling Iran sees more opportunities to plunder the Nation, if his murdering son (and we know that from the events of 2009), succeeds him.  To the day, that the might of US and Israel will forever silence this Shiite Islamic Cult in Iran.  Now if those supporting this regime and all that it stands for do not see the same parallel between this dictatorhip and that of hereditary monarchy, then i feel sorry for you bunch.  You are to repeat history, with the difference that this time a change in power wont be as easy as exiting via the "Shahin". It will be bloody and it will end with the cult of Islam and hundreds of thousands of its followers perishing for good to kindgom come.


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Roozbeh_Gilani

The divisions within the corrupt islamist regime's ranks...

by Roozbeh_Gilani on Sun Nov 28, 2010 08:53 AM PST

Are wide open for all to see and take advantage of. Not least the Iranian nation suffering under crippling inflation, unemployment,environmental disasters, shortage of housing, food, fuel, medical care.

This Islamist cancer patient on it's death bed will soon be put out of it's misery by a mighty blow delivered by the Iranian nation. 


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Sargord Pirouz

Yeah, Nader, those Lord

by Sargord Pirouz on Sun Nov 28, 2010 08:24 AM PST

Yeah, Nader, those Lord Haw-Haws in Germany during WWII could also claim the same (living in England and all). 

So I see you'd have been one of those Lord Haw-Haw listeners. But that goes without saying. You are, after all, admittedly anti-Iran.  


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Sargord Pirouz

Simorgh

by Sargord Pirouz on Sun Nov 28, 2010 08:20 AM PST

I realize you're in the UK so you're not entirely clued into our election results. But again-- and for the second time--here in California, it was a complete sweep for the Democratic party, so I did not lose. Go back and look at my endorsements on my blog. All won, except for US senator, but my endorsement was really a protest vote.

You don't seem to get how elections work. You vote for certain candidates and policies, and when another wins, you accept the outcome, but you continue to support your voting preferences in the next election. 

Now I realize you're an immigrant in the UK and you have a history of not accepting popular election results in Iran (hence your self-exile). But you really should have this election thing down by now. (How long have you been a resident of the UK?)

BTW: Shouldn't you be more personally concerned with the rise of the English Defense League? I see they had a big protest against your kind yesterday.


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Nader Vanaki

Treason to Meehan?

by Nader Vanaki on Sun Nov 28, 2010 08:20 AM PST

Meir writes about things that he is informed about-much more so than Nourizadeh. He has insight into Iranian politics unlike any other journalist, since he has lived there. I don't equate that with treason, I call it first class journalism.


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Simorgh5555

Sargord

by Simorgh5555 on Sun Nov 28, 2010 08:09 AM PST

Sorry Sargord most American people approve and support Israel. Try and be a good American and suppor the policies of your government. You voted. You lost and now accept the outcome. You are suppsoed to be a realist.  Plainly, you are anti-American.


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Sargord Pirouz

Yeah, Nader, Lord Haw-Haw

by Sargord Pirouz on Sun Nov 28, 2010 08:05 AM PST

Yeah, Nader, Lord Haw-Haw had his small fringe group of treasonous followers, as well. Back then and now, they were considered traitors by the majority. 

But then, treason to the Meehan is something you're proud of, right? 


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Nader Vanaki

Meir Rules

by Nader Vanaki on Sun Nov 28, 2010 07:32 AM PST

His writings are on the mark and its a good read each time.


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Sargord Pirouz

Citing Meir's articles here

by Sargord Pirouz on Sun Nov 28, 2010 05:40 AM PST

Citing Meir's zionist-based articles here on the IC and elsewhere is akin to certain Brits citing Lord Haw-Haw in 1940:

//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Haw-Haw


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